Preparation: Cut pork into 2-inch chunks. Place pork chunks and pork hock in a stockpot and cover with water. Simmer until meat falls apart (2-3 hrs.) Drain and reserve stock.

Pull meat from bone and chop with knife or food processor Be careful not to grind it too fine. Set aside.

Measure 5 cups of the cooking stock and return to pot. Bring to a simmer; add meat, cornmeal, and salt. Stir constantly until thick and smooth, about 15-30 minutes.

Final: Pour mixture into two 9"x 5" loaf pans and refrigerate until completely chilled. Unmold scrapple. Slice and fry on both sides until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately. Or, instead of chilling as a loaf, simply cook on stovetop and serve as cornmeal mush.

Basic southern cuisine differs from its Cajun, Creole, and Southwestern cousins in its lack of hot spices. As a result, it's rich but mild—the ultimate in comfort food!

• Crabmeat: meat from the body, legs or claws of numerous varieties of crab. Most prized is jumbo lump from the hind leg. But for crab cakes and casseroles, use regular lump, as well as finback from the body. Claw meat is brown and stronger flavored, though also good for crab recipes. Buy it fresh if you can.

• Greens: a staple in Southern cooking, they're in the cabbage family and include kale, collards, turnip, spinach, and mustard greens. Usually served with black-eyed peas and cornbread to sop up the pot likker.

• Grits: another staple of Southern cooking: coarsely ground corn, cooked as porridge. Once cooked, grits are served plain, baked in a casserole, fried or deep-fried as a fritter. (Think polenta.)